What are the benefits of having a supplementary credit card?

Authorized users on a credit card account can help the primary cardholder meet minimum spending requirements for welcome bonuses or other promotional offers.

Supplementary cards can allow parents to monitor and control their children's spending by setting spending limits and receiving transaction alerts.

Some credit cards offer valuable travel benefits like lounge access, additional travel insurance, or elite status to authorized users, even if they are not the primary cardholder.

Using a supplementary card responsibly can help an authorized user build their own credit history and credit score, even if they have no prior credit experience.

Supplementary cards do not require a separate credit check, application, or credit limit from the primary cardholder's account.

Authorized users can benefit from the primary cardholder's credit limit and credit history, which can improve their own credit utilization ratio.

Closing a supplementary card does not affect the primary cardholder's credit report, unlike closing a joint account.

Some credit card issuers offer rewards or statement credits for adding authorized users to the account.

Supplementary cards can provide an easy way to allow trusted friends or family members to make purchases on your behalf, such as for a caregiver or household manager.

Authorized users typically do not have the ability to make changes to the primary account, such as requesting a credit limit increase or closing the account.

Using a supplementary card responsibly can help an authorized user establish a credit history, which is particularly beneficial for young adults or those new to credit.

Supplementary cards can be a useful tool for couples or families to manage shared expenses and track spending across multiple users.

Credit card issuers may report authorized user activity to credit bureaus, which can impact the authorized user's credit score positively or negatively.

Some credit cards offer bonus rewards or other perks specifically for authorized users, such as accelerated earning rates on certain purchase categories.

Authorized users generally do not have the ability to access sensitive account information or make changes to the primary cardholder's account.

Removing an authorized user from a credit card account may have a temporary impact on their credit score, as the account history will no longer be reflected on their credit report.

Supplementary cards can be a convenient way to manage household expenses, with the ability to track and categorize spending across multiple users.

The primary cardholder can set spending limits or other controls on supplementary cards to manage the authorized user's spending.

In the event of fraud or unauthorized use, the primary cardholder is typically responsible for any charges made by authorized users on the supplementary cards.